Boat propulsion mechanism



My l2, 1931. L. c. LoNssTREET l l BOAT PRPULSVON MISCIANISM` lFiledvwiarch `es, 1950 v .g sheets-SmmV 1 l /I /l Z7 f2; 3o ,W/III'MW/ y f 0 575'" im@ 2g f .2. f n E?,

Attorney 15481)"` l2., v1931- L. c. LoNGsTRx-:E'r 1,804,882

' BOAT PRoPULsIoN MEGHANISM Filed March 6. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f2 lawrence Zag/sive? -v Attorney nvenlor Patented May 12, 1931 '.UNrrEn STATES.

Lonesrnnnfr, or nUEnfEN, NEW JERSEY, AssiGNon or' ONE-THIRD 'ro GEORGE vomit',- .or DUNELLEN, NEW messy :Boar P'RoPULsroN MECHANISM Application filed March 6, 1930.' Serial No. 433,638.

'i inventionlrelates to newand useful flo improvements in boat pri'ipulsion` mechanism and has for its primar-'y object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter Vset forth, aymechanisni of this character embodying a construction and arranginnent whereby a material increase 4in speed will be attained with a given expenditure of engine power. f

Another important` object of the invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter s et forth, a boat propulsion mechanism which maybe expeditiously mounted in operative position on the stern portion of the boat'in such amanner that a'drive shaft-.from the engine is disposed above the water line.

' Another import-ant object of the invention is to provide boat' propelling means embodying a construction and arrangement whereby a propeller will be permitted to remain stationary while the engine is running;Y

y A further important object of the invention is to, provide a boat, propulsion mechanism which is adapted to berexpeditiously mounted on various types of conventional boats which are already in use Vand thiswithout' the necessity of materially altering the same. 1

Other objects of the invention arev reprovide,in a manner as hereinafter setforth, a boat propulsion mechanism of the character set forth..which will be simple in construction strong durable, elieient in itsu'se and which a lmayhe manufacturedl at loriT cost;

All ofthe foregoing: and still further y Voljects'andv advantages ofthe invention may become apparent from a study'of the followingspeciiication taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawingsfwhereiri likel charmetersv o'f reference designate corresponding t roughout 'the several views; land Figure 11s `a view in side elevation showing tbenppuison mechanism, ias-eared in operative position on the rear end of boat,

the' stfemporria ersaidbpn being shown in vertical longitudinal section.

ingthe means whereby a propeller is operan tively connected to or disconnected from the fu engine.

' Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View through the gearing mechanism. f

Figure 4; is a horizontal sectional View taken-substantially on: the line 4 4 of Figure llooking downwardly in 4the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference character l designates thefster. portion of a boat having a rudder 2 mountedl for swinging movement on the rear end thereof in the usual. manner and 3 designates the engine orpower plant ofthe boat.

A v rtically disposed yelongated tubular shaft housing 4L is mounted onthe rear end of the-boat in spaced relation thereto' through the medium of the supporting bracket 5 and said shaft housing has formed integrally on its upper and( lower endsfenlarged half sec- Lshaft is mounted. for rotationin a socket 11 provided thereforin the section 9. The upper end ofthe shaft 10 terminates within the., l gear housing formed the sections 6 and 8. Said upper end being spaced from the section 8.

' The upper gear housing is provided witha forwardly disposed eXtensioiilQ whichis cnnected to a tubular housing 13 which eltends to the engine 3.4 An engine drive shaft 14; is operatively connected to the engine 3' and eX- tends therefrom through the sh aft housing V13 into the upper gear housing formed by the complementary sections 6 and 8 through the `extensions 12 ther-sof and said sha ft is journaled in the roller bearing 15 in the extension 12'. thrust bearing 16 is also provided in the extension 12. A pinion gear 17 is xed 56 n enga-gement with the shaft 26.

on the inner end of the engine propeller shaft 14 and said pinion gear is constantly in mesh with a ring gear 18 mounted for rotation in the upper geai' housing and having formed integrally thereon thel gear casing 19. Planetary gears 20 are mounted for rotation within the casing 19 on the vertical walls thereof. The planetary gears 20 are constantly-in mesh `with` av beveled gear 21 having an integral sleeve 22 depending therefrom and mounted on the upper end portion of the shaft 10. The sleeve 22 extends through thering gear 18 and into the upper end portion of the shaft housing 4 and ioller bearings 28 are disposed between the said sleeve and the shaft housing. It will further be seen that the sleeve 22 constitutes means for rotatably retainiiigthe ring` gear 18 in position in the upper gear housing.

A beveled gear 24 is disposed above the planetary gears 2O and is constantly in mesh therewith and said gear 24 is provided with an integral sleeve 25 which extends rotatably through the upper wall of the casing 19 and has fixed therein aY comparatively short shaft 26 having a transverse socket 27 in its upper end portion, said upper end portion projecting above the sleeve 25 and disposed rotatably in a socket provided therefor in the upper half section 8, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings. A roller bearing 28 is disposed betweenthe upwardly projecting end portion of the sleeve 25 and the adjacent walls of the half section 8 in which said sleeve 25 rotates. rlhe socket 27L is adapted to be brought into registry'with a horizontally disposed opening provided lin the upper end portion of the half section 8. A locking pin 29 extends slidably through the opening in the( half vsection 8 and is adapted to have its inner end portion inserted in the socket 27 in amanner to lock the shaft 26 and the gears 24 which is fixed thereon against rotation. The outer end of the pin 29 is provided with a right angularlydisposed handle portion 30 and a coil springlis connected to the pin 29 and the half section 8 in a manner to yieldingly urge said pin29 into vA beveled gear 32 is fixed on the lower end portion of the shaft 10 within the lower gear housing formed by the'half sections .7 and 9 and said gear 32 is provided with an integral sleeve 33 Aextending upwardly on the shaft into the lower end of the housing A roller bearing 34 is provided between j'the sleeve'l 3,3 and the housing 4.

'Bhe lower gear housing is provided with a rearwardly disposed extension 35 having an y '60 f annulus 36 removably secured on the free end thereofl and constituting means for retaining the roller bearing 37 in the extension A i propeller shaft 88 extends into the lower gear housing through the'extensicn and is supported for rotation throughthe medium of 'invention as f claimed. Y

the roller bearing 37. A pinion gear 39 is fixed on the inner end portion of the propeller shaft 38 and is constantly in mesh with the gear 32 for actuation thereby. A thrust bearing 40 is also disposed in the inner end portion of the extension 35. A propeller 41 is fixed on the rear end portion of the shaft 38.

As illustrated to advantage in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, the lower half section 9 of the lower gear housingis provided with an integral downwardly and rearwardly curved iin 42 which constitutes a guard for the propeller 41. The intermediate portion of the shaft housing 4 is preferably of the cross sectional configuration illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings for the purpose of reducingresistance to the water when the boat is moving therethrough. l

In use, when the engine 3 is running and it is desired to drive the propeller 41, lthe pin 29 is inserted in the socket 27 in a manner to hold the shaft 26 and the beveled gear 24 against rotation. The drive shaft 14 from the engine then rotates the ring gear 18 through the pinion gear 17 and the planetary gear 2O travel around the gear 24 and impart rotary movement to the gear 21 by this operation, Aas will be understood. The shaft 10 is thus rotated and the propeller shaft 38 is actuated through the medium of the lcomplish'ed by simply withdrawing. the pin 29 fromthe socket 27 and the gear 24 which is mounted on the shaft 26 will thus be free to rotate and the planetaryY gearwill now travel around the gear 21, and permits same to remain stationary.

It is believed that the many advantages of afboat 'propulsion mechanism constructed `in accordance with this invention will be readily understood, and yalthough the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described', it is to be understoodthat changes in the details'of construction may be had which'willffal-l within :the scope :ofthe Whatfis'claimed is :f i 1. Ina boatvpropulsion mechanism of the character descr1beda gear housing,` a driving shaft extending into the gearfhousing, a gear'- -V fixed on the driven shaftand disposed. within the housing, a gear mounted for rotation in thehousing and disposed in spaced opposed relation to the first named gear, said driving shaft extendingY 'rotatably into the housing and having a pinion gear fixed on its .inner end, a ring gear'mounted for rotation'in the housingin mesh with thepinion gear for actuation thereby, planetary 'gearsY rotatably mounted on the ring gear and inV mesh 

